


Rosestar's Legacy

by babyvagabond



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: F/M, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-29
Updated: 2017-07-03
Packaged: 2018-04-01 18:56:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4030936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babyvagabond/pseuds/babyvagabond
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The life and times of Rosestar. This story is set in an alternative timeline where nothing after Dawn of the Clans happened.</p><p>noncon is only for a POSSIBLE brief mention.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Allegiances

**Author's Note:**

> most of the warnings wont apply until later in the story

\- S H A D O W C L A N -

-LEADER- Lightningstar; Dark gray tom, amber eyes, scars on face, neck, and back  
-DEPUTY- Silverheart; Silver-gray tabby she-cat, blue eyes, half of face burned in fire, carrying Lightningstar's kits  
-MEDICINE CAT- Pinewhisker; Brown with darker brown spots,she-cat, green eyes  
-WARRIORS-  
Burningleaf; orange and brown tom, green eyes  
Littleflower; small, light-grey and white, she-cat, blue eyes  
Raventhorn; black tom, dark red eyes, fierce warrior, scars on face.  
Fadingecho; gray tabby she-cat, blue eyes  
Lightshimmer; dark gray she-cat, amber eyes  
Bearspirit; brown tom, amber eyes  
Nettlemouse; small, timid black tom, pale green eyes  
Poppyheart; diluted calico she-cat, amber eyes

-QUEENS-  
Brightshadow; dark gray she-cat, green eyes, scars on right side of face, missing right ear, left ear shredded. Mother of Rosekit and Leafkit. Burningleaf's mate  
Goldenbird; Honey colored she-cat, amber eyes, unknown mate.

-KITS-  
Rosekit; light gray with dark gray legs, ears, and tail-tip. white "v" on chest, tom, red eyes. 3 moons  
Leafkit; orange and brown she-kit, green eyes, spitting image of her father, Burningleaf. 3 moons

 

\- T H U N D E R C L A N -

-LEADER- Smokestar; mottled dark gray tom with dark, smoky gray-green eyes  
-DEPUTY- Snake-eye; brown and grey tabby, tom, yellow eyes  
-MEDICINE CAT- Dawnflower; creamy-gold fur, she-cat, nicked right ear, dark blue eyes, deaf in right ear  
-Apprentice: Mintleaf  
-WARRIORS-  
Badgertooth; black and white tom, green eyes  
Berrystorm; white tom w/ dark grey spots, blue eyes, has asthma  
Birchmask; Tom the color of birch trees, dark markings, purpley-blue eyes  
-Apprentice: Angelpaw  
Sedgeleaf; white she-cat, green eyes  
Gorsemouse; brown tabby tom, amber eyes  
Fawneye; light-brown she-cat, green eyes  
Seedspots; brown spotted tom, amber eyes  
-Apprentice: Dovepaw  
Thistlewish; white and gray tom, green eyes

-APPRENTICES-  
Mintleaf; silver she-cat, amber eyes, med. cat apprentice  
Angelpaw: Pretty white she-cat, amber eyes  
Dovepaw: Pretty gray she-cat, amber eyes

-QUEENS-  
Goldenstep; golden tabby she-cat, soft amber eyes. Mother of Maplekit, Smallkit, and Beekit. Berrystorm's mate  
Fernbreeze; light brown tabby she-cat with dark stripes, lighter paws, underbelly, chest, muzzle, and rings around her eyes, and pretty fern-green eyes. Mother of Brightkit and Sheepkit. Badgertooth's former mate

-KITS-  
Maplekit; Warm brown tomkit, green eyes, 5 moons  
Smallkit; tiny grey she-kit, light blue eyes, 5 moons  
Beekit; Golden yellow tabby she-kit, dark blue eyes, 5 moons  
Brightkit; Black tom kit with white paws and pale green eyes, 2 moons  
Sheepkit; light gray tom kit, bright green eyes, 2 moons

 

\- W I N D C L A N -

-LEADER- Cometstar; light gray she-cat, gray-blue eyes  
-DEPUTY- Deerstep; soft-spoken, light brown she-cat, light green eyes  
-MEDICINE CAT- Petalblaze; very dark reddish-ginger, almost red with a white tail, she-cat, blue eyes  
-WARRIORS-  
Heatherwhisper; honey-colored she-cat, gentle, red-orange eyes.  
Wolfheart; grey tom w/ darker grey markings, "icy" blue eyes, quick to start a fight  
-Apprentice: Molepaw  
Graybird; gray tom w/ pale gold eyes  
Rowanshine; russet she-cat, golden eyes  
Hickoryfall; golden tom, green eyes  
Lionflank; golden tom, amber eyes  
Marigoldstem; golden tom, originally trained as medicine cat, turned warrior, green eyes

-APPRENTICES-  
Molepaw; dusty brown tom, firey eyes

-QUEENS-  
Vixenclaw; beautiful russet she-cat, amber eyes, fierce fighter, gentle mother. Mother of Maykit and Flowerkit. Wolfheart's mate

-KITS-  
Maykit; pretty brown tabby she-kit, green eyes  
Flowerkit; dark grey tomkit, stillborn

 

\- R I V E R C L A N -

-LEADER- Applestar; russet tabby tom, green eyes.  
-DEPUTY- Palebrook; light gray tom, gentle, pale green left eye, pale blue right eye  
-MEDICINE CAT- Rushleap; pale brown tabby tom with a missing left eye, patches of fur missing around left eye socket, green eye(s)  
-WARRIORS-  
Ottersong; sleek brown tom, amber eyes  
Reednose; light brown tom w/ white spotty patches, green eyes  
Brightstem; silver tabby she-cat, pale blue eyes, blind  
Crowstream; black tom, polite, weak fighter but strong hunter, amber eyes  
-Apprentice: Webpaw  
Locustwhistle; brown tom with amber eyes  
Rainstep; blue-gray tom, lighter flecks, blue eyes  
Morningstorm; pale ginger she-cat, gray-blue eyes  
Ashfrost; light gray she-cat, blue eyes  
Tumbleleap; brown she-cat, amber eyes. Locustwhistle's sister.  
Shellheart; pearly-white she-cat, purpley-blue eyes, drypaw.  
Daisyfall; black and white tom, amber eyes  
-Apprentice: Ripplepaw  
Troutstrike; pinkish-orange she-cat, fierce fighter, amber eyes.  
Willowflight; gray-blue she-cat, blue eyes

-APPRENTICES-  
Webpaw; small black tom with light striping on back, amber eyes  
Ripplepaw; large gray-blue she-cat, amber eyes


	2. Prologue

Brightshadow was awoken by pain moving in waves through her belly. She tried to stand, but her legs wobbled and gave out. She flopped onto her side and let out a helpless wail. It wasn't long before her mate, Burningleaf, was blundering through the thorn bush like a blind badger to get to his mate.  
"Brightshadow? Are you okay?" He asked, tripping into her nest. He narrowed his eyes, peering at her through the dark of night. The moon was hidden by clouds and Brightshadow prayed to StarClan that it wasn't a sign.  
"No, I'm kitting. It hurts," she mewed. Her voice was strained with pain, and Burningleaf stood quickly, calling for the medicine cat.  
Pinewhisker pushed her way into the nursery not long after, carrying a bundle of herbs. She dropped them beside Brightshadow's head, then turned to Burningleaf. "Go get some wet moss and a stick for her to bite on."   
Burningleaf nodded and ducked out of the nursery.   
Pinewhisker purred and ran a paw over Brightshadow's belly. "Toms, they're always so nervous about kittings, as if they're the ones doing the delivering. You'll be fine, dear. Eat these."  
Brightshadow was already dazed by the pain, and she lapped up the herbs that were swept towards her. She wasn't sure if she'd really even tasted them.  
After that, things felt fuzzy. Later, all she'd remember was the pain, Burningleaf returning and splashing water on her pelt, and the terrifying silence before her first kit began to wail. The second one came easier, and the memories a little crisper. She watched Pinewhisker nip away the sac around the little kit. She watched Pinewhisker lick its chest until it too began to breathe, wailing for the warmth of its mother's belly.   
Brightshadow blearily pulled her kits closer, tucking them into her belly and sighing as they began to nurse.   
"A tom and a she-kit." Burningleaf whispered, curling up behind her. He stroked her black pelt with his tail, nosing at the little gray tom. Brightshadow smiled sleepily as her tiny son raised a dark paw and batted blindly at his father's nose. "What will we name them?" Burningleaf asked with a purr.  
"Sleepykit and Tiredkit." Brightshadow yawned, laying her head atop her paws and watching her kits. The she-kit had her father's ginger and brown pelt, white v's on her chest mimicking her father's. "She looks just like you..."   
Burningleaf's purr grew stronger as his mate drifted off to sleep, and he rested his head on her back, watching the kits at her belly.

Burningleaf had intended to let Brightshadow sleep until sunhigh if she wanted, but the new kits had other plans. They began to squirm as soon as the sun began to color the sky, mewling and crying until their mother woke. She groomed them and helped them find their way to her teats so they could nurse, purring as the kits latched on.  
"Shall we give them proper names now?" Brightshadow asked her mate. Burningleaf purred and nodded in agreement.  
"The tom has opened his eyes," he told her. "I've never seen eyes as red as his."  
"Then he should be called Rosekit." Brightshadow mewed without hesitation.  
Burningleaf let out a mrrow of amusement. "Rosekit? For a tom?"  
Brightshadow narrowed her eyes at him and his purr of a laugh cut off. "U-uh, yes, a handsome name for a tomkit." He amended, and Brightshadow purred.  
"The little she-kit looks just like you. Perhaps we should call her Leafkit?"  
"Leafkit, yes, I like it!" Burningleaf purred.   
The mates touched noses briefly before turning their gazes to their kits, watching them nurse and knead innocently at their mother's belly. Brightshadow couldn't imagine anything better than this moment


	3. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> some backstory is vaguely hinted at. will we ever find out why everyone is so fond of thunderclan? maybe someday.

Rosekit mewed in protest as tiny paws kneaded his side.  
"Wake up!" His sister hissed in his ear.  
Rosekit cracked an eye and peeked up at Leafkit.  
"What is it?" He growled, covering his muzzle with a little black paw.  
"Mother says Silverheart is coming to make her nest in the nursery! She said we can go with her and Lightningstar just outside of camp to help collect moss!" Leafkit squealed.  
Rosekit sat up and licked at a paw before smoothing down the fluffy fur of his cheek. "We're only three moons old, Leafkit." He spat. "We can't leave the camp yet. You're lying."  
"Am not!" Leafkit cried. "Mother said it was okay! Lightningstar said it was okay! And he's the leader!"  
"Fine." Rosekit rose to his paws, shaking moss from his pelt. "But if we get in trouble, I'm telling Mother you made me."  
Leafkit purred and nosed at her brother's shoulder, pushing him out of the nursery. The two kits stumbled into the sunlight, pausing for a moment to regain their balance and allow their eyes to adjust to the sudden harsh light. Leafkit recovered first, bounding ahead of him towards the camp entrance, where Lightningstar and the deputy, his mate Silverheart, sat waiting for the two kits.  
"Wait up!" Rosekit cried. He rushed after his sister, laughing as he overtook her. He'd shut his eyes to block out the slight breeze, and didn't notice that he'd reached the entrance until he crashed into a pair of legs.  
He opened his eyes and gazed up at Silverheart, barely registering Leafkit skidding to a halt behind him.  
Silverheart was beautiful, a silver-gray tabby with bright blue eyes. He didn't think the burn-scar eating away at half her face took from her beauty. Her belly was round and heavy with unborn kits.  
"How many are in there?" He whispered, staring wide-eyed at her belly. Leafkit gasped and swiped at his ears. He turned to glare at her, but a gentle tail-tip against his cheek urged him to look up at the deputy again. She was purring, amused.  
"Pinewhisker thinks three or four little kits. I can feel them squirm in my belly at times and I don't doubt her judgement." Silverheart mewed softly. She leant down and smoothed Rosekit's fur with a gentle tongue.  
A loud purr rumbled in Rosekit's chest, and Leafkit giggled at him. Rosekit shot a glare at his sister, ears burning with embarrassment.  
"Come on, kits." Lightningstar rumbled, corralling the two with his tail. "We're going just outside the entrance. Don't stray too far."  
"I told you." Leafkit hissed to her brother as the leader and his mate led them out of camp.  
"Here, Rosekit." Silverheart purred.  
Rosekit pressed close to her, watching intently as he showed her how to collect the moss.  
"I wanna try!" Leafkit mewed, pushing past her brother and ripping up a clawful of moss. The soft plant shredded in her tiny claws, and she pouted while Silverheart and Lightningstar smothered chuckles behind their tails.  
"It's easier when you're older," Lightningstar explained soothingly.  
"Maybe you two could help us find more dry patches?" Silverheart purred.  
Rosekit nodded and bounded off, jumping around the roots of trees, calling to Silverheart every time he found a nice, dry patch of moss. Leafkit did the same, albeit a little reluctantly, obviously having wanted to help in the same way the warriors had.  
"Well, it looks like we have plenty!" Lightningstar purred, flicking his tail towards the pile they'd made. It was much larger than the height of both Rosekit and Leafkit put together. "I think we even have enough to clean up the warriors' den, too."  
"Can we help?!" Rosekit gasped.  
"Well..." Silverheart looked to her mate, who nodded. "I suppose you'll have to, since we have no apprentices."  
Rosekit and Leafkit cheered and started towards the camp entrance, but Lightningstar moved to block the entrance, and Silverheart picked up Rosekit by the scruff of his neck.  
"Wait a minute, kits. We need help carrying all this bedding into camp!" Lightningstar purred.  
Silverheart set Rosekit back down, purring and nudging him towards the moss pile. Rosekit looked down as he shuffled to the pile, embarrassed and ashamed.  
Silverheart smiled sadly and used her tail to tip Rosekit's head up. "Hey, don't look so sad. You didn't know. Here, let me show you how to hold a lot of moss."  
Rosekit perked up and nodded. Silverheart showed him how to hold moss under his chin as well as in his jaws, and the four were able to carry all the moss into camp without needing to go back for more.  
"Silverheart? Can... Can we help you make your nest?" Rosekit asked as they set the moss down beside the nursery.  
"Of course!" Silverheart purred, nuzzling the top of Rosekit's head.  
Rosekit grinned and took a jawful of moss, carrying it into the nursery.  
"Mama!" He squealed around the moss. He bounded across the nursery and set it down in an empty space. "We're making a nest for Silverheart!"  
Brightshadow purred and nodded as Silverheart squeezed in after him. The thorns scratched through the soft fur of her round belly, and Brightshadow tried to hide a cringe. She couldn't imagine carrying on her duties as a warrior this long into the pregnancy. Pinewhisker had said that Silverheart would have her kits before Goldenbird, the young queen who'd joined the nursery when Brightshadow's kits were a moon old.  
"The nursery will be crowded soon," Brightshadow mewed lightly, watching her kit and the deputy dig out a shallow hole in the dirt. "Silverheart will have her kits any day now, Goldenbird not long after. How many kits does Pinewhisker suspect you'll have, Silverheart?"  
"Three," Silverheart purred. "Although I'm sure none will be as sweet as little Rosekit."  
Brightshadow flicked her tail in annoyance. "Goldenbird is only expecting one kit, thank StarClan. My kits still have three moons left in the nursery, six kits will be a real pawful."  
"I'm sure we could handle more!" Silverheart chuckled, looking up and across the dim nursery at Brightshadow. "Why, in ThunderClan, I had four kits, and you-"  
Brightshadow let out a quick hiss, cutting Silverheart off.  
The pretty silver she-cat took a pawstep back, looking at Brightshadow with wide eyes.  
"ThunderClan?" Rosekit sneered, voice filled with disgust. "You had kits in Thunderclan?"  
"No, Rosekit. Silverheart is just being silly. Where's your sister? Go find her, and bring me the best piece of fresh-kill you can find. We'll all three share something." Brightshadow mewed gently, glaring harshly at Silverheart as she spoke.  
Rosekit hesitated before nodding and leaving the nursery, paws heavy and dragging across the dusty ground in the clearing.He found his sister with the Clan's leader in the warrior's den.  
"Mother's angry with Silverheart," He whispered to Leafkit as the two of them went through the fresh kill pile.  
"What? Why?" Leafkit asked, looking up at Rosekit in surprise. She had a crow's feather on her nose, and Rosekit absently batted it away.  
"I don't know," he sighed. "Silverheart mentioned ThunderClan, and Mother hissed at her."  
"ThunderClan? Those bunch of flea-bags, it's no wonder Mother is upset!" Leafkit giggled.  
Rosekit heard pawsteps behind him and looked back to see Burningleaf approaching them.  
"Are we speaking ill of other Clans?" He asked, a hint of warning in his voice.  
"Father," Leafkit whined.  
"No, my love. We respect the other Clans. Especially ThunderClan. They've helped us greatly in the past, and I don't think Smokestar would appreciate kits calling him and his Clanmates flea-bags."  
"But it's true, Father! They have fleas! I heard Poppyheart say so!" Rosekit spoke up, quick to defend his sister.  
"Poppyheart is young. Young warriors tend to think everything is about starting fights. Besides, how would you feel if a ThunderClan cat said you had fleas?"  
Rosekit and Leafkit both looked down at their paws. Rosekit flicked his ears in annoyance, but when he glanced at Leafkit, he could see real shame in her eyes.  
"What are you up to, anyways?" Burningleaf purred, clearly having forgiven the kits already.  
"We're getting something to share with Mother!" Rosekit mewed, flicking Leafkit with his tail. The little orange she-kit shuffled her paws in the dirt. Rosekit frowned. Why was she so upset? They hadn't done anything wrong, and their father had already forgiven them, anyways.  
"Oh really? Well, sparrow is your mother's favorite." Burningleaf purred, digging a sparrow out of the pile.  
Rosekit gasped as the bird was dropped in front of him. It was nearly as big as he was!  
"Leafkit, help me carry this to the nursery!" He mewed excitedly, picking the bird up by it's neck.  
Leafkit nodded absently and headed to the nursery, watching her paws as she walked. Rosekit scoffed and carried the bird, alone, after his sister.  
Burningleaf watched his kits go, concern clouding his thoughts.

It was barely three sunrises after Silverheart joined the nursery that Rosekit woke to her soft grunts of pain. He sat up, peeking over the edge of his nest.  
Pinewhisker and Lightningstar were crowded around Silverheart, blocking Rosekit's view of her. He started to climb out of the nest, but a paw pulled him back in. He looked back at his mother, who shook her head at him.  
Rosekit let out a small sigh and stayed at the edge of their nest, resting his head on his paws and watching silently.  
It was quiet, Silverheart's huffs and grunts never loud enough to wake Leafkit or Goldenbird. Rosekit had almost dozed off when he heard the wail of a kit.  
He quickly hopped out of the nest, evading Brightshadow's paws, and squirmed between Pinewhisker and Lightningstar.  
He stared, wide-eyed, at the little kit at his paws. It was light gray, silver-y in the moonlight, like its mother. Unlike its mother, the kit had white ears and tailtip, and the bottom of its paws were soft and white.  
"It's beautiful," He whispered.  
"She," Pinewhisker corrected softly.  
"She..." Rosekit repeated.  
Silverheart purred softly. "Do you like her, Rosekit?" She asked hoarsely.  
"She's beautiful." Rosekit mewed, looking up at Silverheart.  
Silverheart smiled and opened her mouth to say something, but a wail of pain poured out instead, and she clamped her mouth shut.  
Pinewhisker gently herded Rosekit back into his nest before tending to Silverheart again, and Rosekit watched as another kit came, and another, and another, until the nursery was quiet again. Each kit wailed for a few moments before being brought to Silverheart's belly, where they calmed and nursed.  
"Two she-kits and a tom." Pinewhisker announced. She looked over Silverheart one last time before leaving the den.  
Rosekit crept close again, crouching at the edge of Silveheart's nest and looking down at the three kits.  
"Are you going to name them?" He asked softly.  
"Of course we are," Lightningstar purred.  
"Would you like to help?" Silverheart mewed.  
Rosekit nodded and slipped down into the nest.  
"The dark one should be Lizzardkit!" He squeaked.  
"You think so?" Silverheart purred. She looked over her shoulder at her mate, who purred and nodded.  
"Lizzardkit it is, then." Silverheart mewed.  
"Adderkit for the tom?" Lightningstar added.  
"Oh, yes! And something soft, for the lighter she-kit. Mmm... Goosekit?" Silverheart suggested.  
"Goosekit." Lightningstar agreed.  
Rosekit watched the two choose the names, then looked down at the three kits. They were so tiny, helplessly squirming at their mother's belly. Rosekit couldn't imagine that he had ever been that small, that weak. He slowly stood and made his way back to his nest, glancing back at Silveheart and Lightningstar. They hadn't even noticed he'd left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i rlly wish i knew how to italicize things. 
> 
> comments would be greatly appreciated!! im not fond of my writing style amd knowing someones interested in this story might keep it going.  
> (and trust me, it gets interesting soon)


	4. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a ceremony and a mystery

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey..."  
"Mother!" Rosekit gasped, running back from the nursery's opening. "He's calling the Clan!"  
"I heard, my love." Brightshadow purred, grooming Leafkit.  
She squirmed away from their mother to tackle Rosekit. "We're going to be apprentices!"  
"Hey, don't get your fur dusty!" Brightshadow chided, picking up Rosekit. She set him on his paws and quickly groomed him, then nosed him through the thorn wall.  
Leafkit stumbled out after him, and their father smiled down at them. He gestured for them to make their way to the boulder across the clearing.  
Rosekit took a deep breath and held his head high as he walked across the clearing. The crowd parted for them, giving the two a straight path to the bottom of the large rock their leader stood upon.  
"Cats of ShadowClan," Lightningstar began, smiling down at the two kits. He looked up, out at the rest of the Clan as he continued. "We've faced many hardships these past few seasons. We've lost many of our Clanmates, just as our fellow Clans have. These two kits, who are family to me, are the first apprentices of my leadership. They symbolize that we can overcome anything."  
The cats cheered briefly, but Lightningstar silenced them with a flick of his tail.  
"Leafkit," He started again, hopping down off the rock. "You've reached six moons, and it is time you became an apprentice. From this day forward, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Leafpaw. At your mother's request, I will be your mentor. Under my guidance, Brightshadow became a fine young warrior, and a gentle mother. I hope, perhaps, I can help you become these things, too."  
Lightningstar dipped his head and touched noses with Leafpaw. Before the Clan could cheer her name, he straightened up and continued on with the ceremony.  
"Rosekit. You, too, have reached six moons, and I know you will make a fine warrior someday. It's time you start your training. From this day on, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Rosepaw." Lightningstar paused to scan the crowd, purring when he saw the cat he'd been searching for.  
"Raventhorn, my brother." Lightningstar mewed.  
Raventhorn stepped forward, out of the crowd.  
"Raventhorn. You and I have fought many battles together. You are a strong and brave warrior. I trust you will pass these qualities on to Rosepaw, and I trust that you will always protect him, as you have protected me."  
Raventhorn purred, "I will not let you down, Lightningstar."  
Rosepaw bounced closer to Raventhorn and stretched up to touch noses with his mentor.  
"We can overcome anything, ShadowClan. Never forget that." Lightningstar said, finishing the ceremony.  
The cats cheered and called the two apprentice's names, welcoming them to the Clan.  
Burningleaf and Brightshadow crowded around their kits, purring and smoothing down their fur with gentle tongues.  
Lightningstar stepped closer to his friends. "I don't mean to interrupt the celebrations, but it's time we show these two the territory." He purred.

Rosepaw and Leafpaw returned to the camp late that evening. The two barely had enough energy to share a crow before they went to their new nests in the apprentice's den.  
The cave was drafty and cold, and Rosepaw suspected that, in a few moons, when Silveheart's kits, and soon after, Thrushkit, Goldenbird's son, joined them, their bodies would help warm the den. But for now, the two littermates curled up close together in a single nest in the center of the den. It didn't take either of them long to fall asleep.  
Rosepaw woke in a dark forest, the smell of leafrot and crowfood heavy in the air. He sat up and looked around, frowning in confusion. This wasn't the beautiful pine forest he and his sister had explored earlier today.  
When he stood, his paws sank deep into rank mud. He growled and tried to get to higher, drier ground, but the mud sucked at his paws and tried to hold him still. He pushed through, and the mud effectively slowed him down.  
"Hello, little one," A voice called from above.  
"Who's there?" Rosepaw called, looking up into the thick trees above him. Everything had an eerie, red glow to it.  
"No one to be frightened of," the voice replied. A cat climbed down from a tree a few foxlengths in front of him, and Rosepaw struggled to meet the cat there.  
He climbed up onto the large, tangled roots of the tree, shaking mud off his paws, and looked up at the large tomcat.  
He was black and white, and huge, much larger that Lightningstar. He had an open wound on his neck that dripped black sludge. The cat smelled faintly of ShadowClan, but the scent was almost overpowered by the horrible scent of death.  
"This isn't StarClan, is it?" Rosepaw gasped.  
"Of course not, young one." The cat purred. He sat, wrapping his bushy tail elegantly around his paws. Rosepaw thought that maybe, once, he'd been handsome, but now he had mud and dried blood and rotting leaves matted in his fur.  
When Rosepaw looked closely, he could see tendons and muscle in the cat's wound.  
"Then... wh-where am I?" Rosepaw asked, voice shaking.  
"The dark forest," the large tom mewed absently.  
Rosepaw could see... things... moving in the cat's throat when he spoke.  
"The dark forest?" Rosepaw repeated.  
"Yes. It's where cats go when they aren't good enough for StarClan."  
Rosepaw wasn't sure how he was meant to respond to that. After a few moments he asked, "Am... Am I dead?"  
"No." The cat responded shortly.  
"Do, um... Do you have a name?"  
"Yes."  
"Well... What is it?"  
"You ask too many questions, Rosepaw."  
Rosepaw looked up at the cat with wide eyes. "How do you know my name?" He growled.  
The big cat shook his head, grumbling, "She should have named you after me."  
"Who are you?!" Rosepaw yowled, unsheathing his claws as he stood.  
"Your father." The cat said, flicking his tail. When he looked at Rosepaw, he looked bored. "Or, I would have been," he amended, "if that idiot Lightningclaw hadn't taken Brightpaw to ThunderClan. Did you know you have brothers? Two of them, in ThunderClan. She abandoned them. Just as she'll do with you, when she's bored of playing mother again."  
"You're lying!" Rosepaw cried. "Who are you, tell me your name?!"  
"Gullstar," the cat said evenly.  
Rosepaw yowled and swiped at the cat's face. Just as his claws were about to make contact, Rosepaw sat up straight in his nest.  
He glanced around at the den, breathing heavily. He swallowed thickly and stood, stepping carefully over his sister to get some fresh air.  
Out in the clearing, he spotted Bearspirit, keeping guard. Rosepaw took a deep breath and crossed the clearing to the young warrior.  
"Hey, Rosepaw." Bearspirit mewed softly as Rosepaw sat beside him. "You don't look so good. Are you okay?"  
Rosepaw slowly shook his head.  
"What's wrong? Do you want me to get Pinewhisker?"  
Rosepaw shook his head again, and Bearspirit nodded in understanding.  
"I... I had a nightmare." Rosepaw whispered, after what felt like a few ages of silence.  
"Do you want to talk about it?" Bearspirit asked, looking down at Rosepaw.  
Rosepaw nodded slowly. "It... It was about Gullstar."  
Bearspirit scoffed. "What, did Raventhorn tell you all his battle stories? Don't worry, my sisters are pretty sure that's all fake. We were born when Gullstar was still alive. He wasn't as scary as all the older warriors make him out to be. The important thing is that Lightningstar defeated him, and drove out his followers, and they'll never bother us again. Gullstar is gone. We're all safe."  
Rosepaw swallowed thickly and forced a smile, nodding. "Thank you, Bearspirit." He whispered.  
"No worries. And hey, soon you'll be doing so much training, you'll be too exhausted to dream."  
Rosepaw stood and nodded again, starting to head back to the apprrentice's den.  
"Thank you," he said again.  
"Goodnight, Rosepaw." Bearspirit called.  
"Goodnight..." Rosepaw whispered, stepping into the den. He curled up around his sister, nosing into her fur and breathing in her warm, familiar scent.  
Raventhorn hadn't told him any battle stories that day. All he'd learnt was the forest. The best places to hunt in it, the best hiding spots, and the borders. Rosepaw had hoped that when he'd mentioned Gullstar to Bearspirit, he wouldn't know the name either. Now, Rosepaw felt more unsafe than ever.  
He didn't sleep the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this ones a lil short. 
> 
> more backstory. who's gullstar? and what was he talking about? will we ever find out? maybe.


	5. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> rosepaw and leafpaw attend their first gathering!

Bearspirit had been right. After that first night, Raventhorn and Lightningstar worked the two new apprentices as hard as they could, taking them out each day and teaching them something new. Every night the siblings shared a piece of fresh-kill before laying down in their nests and sleeping peacefully. In the morning, their mentors would wake them up, and they'd learn something new.  
Every one of Rosepaw's muscles was constantly screaming at him to stop, to slow down, but the more he worked, the more he learned, the more powerful he felt. His mentor, and the leader, were proud of his hard work, and his parents congratulated him the night he returned to camp with his first catch, a sparrow.  
They'd been training for a moon, and Rosepaw had almost forgotten Gullstar. He definitely hadn't had another dream about him.  
This night, however, was the full moon, and Lightningstar had chosen ShadowClan's newest apprentices to come to the gathering.  
Rosepaw and Leafpaw stood together by the entrance to camp, talking quietly and waiting as the rest of the traveling cats gathered.  
Leafpaw was telling her brother all about some fighting move Lightningstar had taught her that day, but Rosepaw wasn't listening. He watched Silverheart speak to her kits. He couldn't hear her, but he knew she was telling them to behave, and not to wait up for her. She'd be going to the gathering, since she was deputy, and her kits would be staying the night with Goldenbird and Thrushkit.  
Rosepaw straightened up as Silverheart began to walk towards him. He was running through all the ways he could greet her, when he was pushed, hard, by his sister.  
"What?!" He snapped, turning to look at her.  
Leafpaw was taken aback, staring at her brother for a few heartbeats, before she burst into giggles.  
"You like Silverheart!" She squealed.  
Rosepaw yelped and covered her mouth with his tail.  
"Be quiet!" He hissed.  
She batted his tail away while Rosepaw looked around, to see if any cat had heard. No one was staring at them, so he figured he was safe.  
"You're such a mousebrain, Rosepaw!" Leafpaw purred. "Silverheart has a mate. And kits. Kits that are older than us!"  
"I know that, okay?" Rosepaw mumbled. He sighed and looked away from his sister, glaring across the clearing at Lightningstar, who was speaking eagerly with Raventhorn.  
Rosepaw watched as Silverheart walked up to the brothers, and Lightningstar stopped talking to touch his nose to Silverheart's cheek. She brushed against him, purring. They spoke to each other in hushed voices, then Lightningstar led her to the head of the crowd.  
"Cats of ShadowClan," Lightningstar called.  
The cats who had been speaking or sharing tongues stopped and looked to Lightningstar.  
"It's time to go, my friends." Lightningstar purred. He turned and pushed through the thorn tunnel, and the rest of the group pushed after him.  
Rosepaw and Leafpaw were joined by Raventhorn and Burningleaf.  
"Are you excited?" Burningleaf asked his kits, smiling at them.  
"Yes!" Leafpaw mewed excitedly.  
Burningleaf looked to Rosepaw, who shrugged.  
"What, you aren't excited for your first gathering?" Burningleaf asked.  
Rosepaw shrugged again. "I guess," he mewed. "We're just gonna go sit with a bunch of smelly cats and listen to the leaders talk about their own territories. Why do we have to be there for it?"  
"Well, it's a chance for you to speak to cats outside of your own Clanmates, and learn about the other Clans. If you're lucky, an apprentice might tell you about their Clans' battle strategies, or their own skillset, and if you ever meet them in battle, you'll have the upper paw. And, you can make friends, as long as those friendships won't interfere with fights." Raventhorn explained.  
"Why would I want friends outside of ShadowClan?" Rosepaw sneered.  
"You'd be surprised." Burningleaf purred.  
"Do you have friends in the other Clans, Father?" Leafpaw asked.  
"I do. And Silverheart has a kit in another Clan."  
Rosepaw stumbled and stopped for a moment in his surprise, then rushed to catch up with his father, littermate, and mentor.  
"Silverheart has a kit in ThunderClan? Who?" He demanded.  
"The medicine cat apprentice, Mintleaf. You'll probably meet her at the gathering tonight." Burningleaf mewed.  
"Is Mintleaf Bearspirit's littermate?" Leafpaw asked.  
"Yes, and Fadingecho and Lightshimmer's, too." Raventhorn said absently.  
"Is that why they're coming to the gathering? To see their sister?"  
"I don't know, Leafpaw, I didn't choose who came." Raventhorn said.  
Leafpaw frowned and looked down at her paws for a moment before racing ahead to catch up with Bearspirit.  
"Father?" Rosepaw spoke up.  
"Mmhm?"  
"Why does Silverheart have a kit in ThunderClan?"  
"Well-" Burningleaf started, but cut off as they arrived at the edge of Fourtrees.  
"Oh, Rosepaw! Look down into the hollow!" Raventhorn purred.  
Rosepaw hesitated, looking up at his father, who nudged him forwards.  
Rosepaw moved forwards, climbing up onto the twisted root of one of the huge oak trees. His sister climbed up beside him, and the two looked down at all the cats in the hollow. There were more cats than Rosepaw had ever seen in one place. He tried to count them all, but they kept moving, and he didn't recognize a single cat.  
"We're the last Clan to arrive. Let's not keep them waiting any longer!" Lightningstar called before racing down the slope, his Clanmates following.  
Burningleaf and Raventhorn joined Rosepaw and Leafpaw on the root, purring as the two watched their Clanmates rushing into the hollow, their eyes wide.  
"Come on, you two. It won't be long before it starts now." Raventhorn mewed, hopping down and picking his way down the hill.  
The gnarled roots of the oak tree created a stepped path down the hill, and Rosepaw followed the roots down, clinging onto the bark with sharp claws. His family joined them at the bottom of the hill, but it was only a few moments until Burningleaf excused himself to join a small group of ThunderClan cats.  
Rosepaw looked to Leafpaw, but before he could say anything, she raced off to join Bearspirit and his littermates.  
Rosepaw sighed softly and sat down, looking down at his paws.  
"Did your littermate ditch you, too?" A voice asked.  
Rosepaw looked up at the black tom who sat beside him. He was a ThunderClan apprentice, at least a moon younger than him.  
"Uh, yeah. I think she likes one of our Clanmates. She's always right on his heels." Rosepaw sighed, flicking his tail towards Leafpaw and Bearspirit. They were talking to a pretty silver she-cat.  
"Oh, are they talking to Mintleaf?" The apprentice asked.  
"Yeah, I guess. The brown tom is Bearspirit. He's supposed to be Mintleaf's brother. The orange she-cat is Leafpaw."  
"And she's supposed to be your sister?"  
Rosepaw nodded, looking back to the black apprentice.  
"My name's Brightpaw. My brother, Sheeppaw, hasn't left our mother's side all night. And Fernbreeze is off talking to some RiverClan cat."  
"What about your father?" Rosepaw asked.  
"My father hasn't spoken more than two words to me since I was born." Brightpaw snorted, looking away.  
"I-I'm so sorry..." Rosepaw mewed, looking down at his paws.  
"It isn't your fault. My mother says he's just busy, but Maplepaw, his father and my father are brothers, said that his father told his mother that Badgertooth was jealous of Berrystorm's mate, and that's why he took Fernbreeze as a mate. But I guess he decided he didn't care anymore... Anyways, where are your parents?" Brightpaw asked, looking at Rosepaw again.  
"Well... My father is over there, talking to some ThunderClan cats," Rosepaw gestured with a paw at his father, who was talking with a golden she-cat, a pale gold she-cat, and a brown and gray tom.  
"Oh! That's Goldenstep, she's Berrystorm's mate, and Dawnflower, she's the medicine cat, and Snake-eye. He's the deputy, and my mentor. Where's your mother?"  
"Brightshadow stayed in camp to help Goldenbird watch over Silverheart's kits." Rosepaw sighed. He'd wished his mother had been chosen to come tonight.  
When Brightpaw didn't answer, Rosepaw looked over at him. Brightpaw was staring at Rosepaw with wide eyes.  
"What? What's wrong?"  
"D-did you say Brightshadow...?"  
"Uh, yeah, why?"  
"Oh, um, nothing. She's... she's your mother?"  
"Yes...?" Rosepaw mumbled, shifting his paws.  
Brightpaw didn't reply. He looked out into the crowd of cats, and after a few long moments, he stood and walked away. Not long after, Raventhorn came and sat beside Rosepaw, telling him that the leader's were about to start speaking.  
Rosepaw watched absently as each leader came forward and spoke of what had happened in the past moon.  
First, ThunderClan's leader, Smokestar, stepped forward. He announced two new warriors, Angelwing and Doveflight. The Clans cheered for them, and cheered again for ThunderClan's newest apprentices, Brightpaw and Sheeppaw.  
Cometstar, WindClan's leader, stepped forward next. The Clans cheered for Maypaw and Molespots. Cometstar warned the Clans of a fox her warriors had chased off their territory.  
Next came RiverClan, and Applestar announced that while they had two new warriors, Webfur and Ripplecloud, Crowstream would be joining the edler's den.  
Lightningstar announced that prey was running well and they were happy that their Clan was healthy. Rosepaw saw a few cats giggling, and another cat sneering at Lightningstar.  
The leader's hopped down from the rock, and before Rosepaw knew it, all of the cats were climbing from the hollow and disappearing into their own territories.

The trek back to camp seemed longer than the journey to Fourtrees, and Rosepaw dragged his paws through the dirt as he crossed the clearing to his den. He flopped down in his nest, falling asleep before his sister had even joined him.  
When he opened his eyes again, he was back in red-tinged forest. This time, the scent of death was stronger.  
"No!" Rosepaw snarled. He hopped down off the tree root, landing heavily in the mud.  
"Where do you think you're going, little one?" A voice growled.  
Rosepaw sighed and turned to look at Gullstar. There was a long scratch across his nose this time.  
"I wouldn't have brought you here if I hadn't needed to speak to you. Come, kit, sit with me."  
"I'm not a kit," Rosepaw mumbled, climbing up onto the root and sitting beside Gullstar again.  
"You went to your first gathering tonight, hm?" Gullstar asked, wrapping his tail around Rosepaw.  
Rosepaw pushed Gullstar's tail away from him. "Why do you care?" he hissed.  
"You met my kin tonight." Gullstar mewed calmly. He was clearly ignoring how salty Rosepaw was being.  
"Why should I care!" Rosepaw yowled.  
"Because they're your kin too!" Gullstar snapped. "Berrystorm and Badgertooth are my sons, and that makes them your brothers."  
"How?" Rosepaw demanded. "You aren't my father! You're nothing to me!"  
"You should be more respectful, Rosepaw! I have the power to make you great!"  
"You're dead, you have no power over me! You aren't even a StarClan cat, you don't have power over anybody!" Rosepaw hissed.  
Gullstar growled and let out an angry yowl.  
Rosepaw woke, sitting up in his nest, panting. Weak sunlight filtered into the den, but Rosepaw felt even more exhausted than when he'd laid down.  
He curled up beside Leafpaw again, watching the rise and fall of her flank as she slept. If they were lucky, their mentors would let them sleep in. Rosepaw thought about this as he drifted off again.  
He didn't wake in the Dark Forest this time.

Rosepaw and Leafpaw were lucky. Not only had their mentors allowed them to sleep in, but when they were finally woken, it was only so Raventhorn could tell them that they could take the day off to rest.  
For a while, Rosepaw and Leafpaw sunned themselves outside of their den. Leafpaw told Rosepaw all about the cats Bearspirit had introduced her to, and how she'd made friends with that WindClan apprentice, Maypaw. Rosepaw briefly mentioned his conversation with Brightpaw, but Leafpaw wasn't interested. Rosepaw gave up and let her talk. He rested his head on his paws, watching cats come in and out of camp.  
When his mother came in at the head of a returning hunting patrol, Rosepaw jumped up and ran to her.  
"Brightshadow!" He called.  
Brightshadow set down her frog and smiled at Rosepaw.  
"Mother, can we go for a walk? I wanna talk to you about something!" Rosepaw mewed softly.  
"Of course," Brightshadow purred. She quickly told Littleflower that she was going out with Rosepaw, and then the two set out into the forest.  
Rosepaw was quiet for most of the walk, but as they neared the old burnt Sycamore that he and his sister trained at, he stopped.  
"Mother..." He mewed softly.  
Brightshadow stopped walking and turned to look at her son. "What is it, Rosepaw?"  
"I... I was wondering... H-how are we related to Berrystorm and Badgertooth...?"  
Brightshadow visibly winced at the mention of the two ThunderClan warriors. "How do you know those names?" she asked. Her voice was tinged lightly with anger.  
"I-I met a cat, at the gathering! His name was Brightpaw, and he said Badgertooth was his father!" Rosepaw said quickly. "A-and... I had a dream. And... this... this cat... H-he told me that Berrystorm and Badgertooth are my brothers..."  
"What?! Who was this cat in your dream?!" Brightshadow hissed.  
"N-no one! I don't know, he didn't say his name!" Rosepaw lied.  
"What did he look like?!" Brightshadow demanded.  
"He... He was big... and... and black and white..."  
"Was he a StarClan cat?"  
"I-I... I don't know!"  
"You must never speak to this cat again. If you dream of him, run. Run until you wake up. Do you hear me, Rosepaw? I don't want you speaking to him!"  
"Y-yes mother..." Rosepaw whispered, looking down at his paws. He heard his mother sigh and walk away a few paces. When he looked back up, she was turned away from him.  
"Was... Was he lying...?" Rosepaw mewed weakly.  
Brightshadow sighed again and sat down, looking at her paws. "No... No, he wasn't. Berrystorm and Badgertooth are my sons."


	6. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> plot!!!!!!!!!
> 
> non-con warning applies for this chapter, but like i said before, it's just for a brief reference to it. nothing is explicitly stated, just heavily implied.

"Y-your sons...?" Rosepaw whispered, watching his mother's back. "B-but... They live in ThunderClan..."  
"Yes, I know. I'm sorry I kept this from you, Rosepaw. It's just... I didn't want you to know. I thought... I thought if you didn't know, no cat could make fun of you for it, or make you feel bad for it. I guess that was silly of me... You were bound to find out someday."  
"What are you talking about, Mother?" Rosepaw whispered.  
Brightshadow turned her head to peer over her shoulder at her son. "Come, Rosepaw. Sit by me."  
Rosepaw hesitated before taking the few pawsteps forward to stand beside his mother. He hesitated again before he sat down. Only then did his mother begin talking.  
"Rosepaw... You and your sister... You're half-clan."  
"What?" Rosepaw gasped.  
Brightshadow looked down at Rosepaw and smiled weakly. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, my love. Your father was born in ThunderClan."  
"Th-ThunderClan...?!"  
"I know," Brightshadow mewed soothingly, wrapping her tail around Rosepaw and drawing him close. He nuzzled into his mother's fur, just as he had when he was a kit. Her scent calmed him.  
"When... When I was an apprentice, our leader... He wasn't a good cat, Rosepaw. He hurt me, and other apprentices like me. ShadowClan was no longer safe for anyone, but especially not she-cats. I became a queen before I became a warrior." Brightshadow shuddered as she spoke, and Rosepaw meowed wordlessly, grooming his mother to soothe her.  
Brightshadow took a few moments to collect her thoughts before she continued, "I told Gullstar that I was expecting his kits, and he became furious with me. As if it was my fault... He lashed out, clawed at my face to punish me. I was lucky to be alive. I ran to my mentor, Lightningstar. He was Lightningclaw then. I-I told him what had happened, that Gullstar had struck me. I was bleeding, and beginning to feel weak. I couldn't go to Pinewhisker, she would've been punished similarly for treating my wounds. So... So Lightningstar did what he thought would be best for me. He took me to ThunderClan, and Smokestar took me in. Dawnflower treated my wounds... She was afraid I'd lose my eye to infection. I was so lucky to have kept my sight. I stayed there, had my kits there, finished my training there. I requested the name Brightshadow, so I would never forget where I came from. I didn't think I'd ever get to go back..."  
"Mother..." Rosepaw whispered.  
Brightshadow shook her head and licked between Rosepaw's ears.  
"Silverheart joined me in ThunderClan, only a few sunrises after I got there. She was pregnant, and Lightningstar was terrified for his mate's life. She had her kits in ThunderClan, before I did. Her kits became warriors while we stayed, and waited. Mine became apprentices. We were there for so long, Rosepaw. I met your father there... I... I remember the day Lightningstar came to ThunderClan... A wound on his neck, still dripping blood. He told us he'd defeated Gullstar, and that it was time for his Clanmates to come home. I... ShadowClan didn't have many warriors at that time. A lot... A lot of kits lost their parents. Poppyheart, Pinewhisker and Goldenbird... Raventhorn lost his mate, Nettlemouse and Littleflower were too young to even remember her now... I... I lost my brother... A-and I had to leave my kits behind, Rosepaw. It tore me apart... I tried to visit them, but... The other Clans started to mock us, started to invade our territories... Oh, Rosepaw. I'm so sorry I kept this from you..." Brightshadow let out a sob, curling around her son.  
"Mother, please... I forgive you..." Rosepaw whispered. He was so confused. Why had his mother thought he couldn't handle this?  
"I haven't forgiven myself, Rosepaw. I avoid gatherings. I'm so afraid that they never understood... Why I left them. There weren't enough warriors in ShadowClan to train them..." Brightshadow sniffled and stood, smiling weakly down at her son.  
"I won't make a mistake like that again. I'll never leave you, Rosepaw. I'll always be here."  
Rosepaw smiled up at his mother and nodded.  
"Let's go back to camp." Brightshadow purred, pressing her muzzle to her son's cheek. She turned after a moment, leading Rosepaw back to camp.  
Rosepaw followed a few paces behind, watching his paws while they walked. 

That night, when Rosepaw and Leafpaw settled down into their nests, Rosepaw thought of Gullstar. He focused on an image of the ShadowClan leader in his mind, hoping it would take him to the cat. He nosed into his sister's fur.  
He didn't dream that night.

It wasn't for almost a moon that he woke in the Dark Forest again. He woke in the stinking mud, as he had the first time.  
Rosepaw sighed as he stood, walking slowly through the thick sludge that pulled and sucked at his paws, clumping in his fur.  
This night, he wasn't stopped at the clump of trees with the twisted roots. He climbed out of the swamp, glancing back at the place he'd always met Gullstar before. He thought for a moment about going back and waiting for the cat.  
Rosepaw shook his head and continued on. Rotting leaves squelched wetly beneath his paws, and every few pawsteps dead, dry grass crunched beneath him. Wetness from the leaves was beginning to seep between his toes and Rosepaw looked around until he found a large rock. From where he stood, it looked dry at the top.  
Rose paw lept at the rock, scrambling for a place to put his paws. His claws dug into a deep crack in the rock and he managed to haul himself up without wrenching a claw, but they still ached.  
Rosepaw sighed and sat- the rock was damp- and groomed away the mud and leafrot. It tasted foul on his tongue but felt worse between his toes and under his claws.  
"What are you doing up there, kit?" A voice spat at the base of the rock.  
Rosepaw stook a step forward and looked down. Down on the forest floor was a cat he didn't recognize. He was thin, his amber fur seeming to cling to his bones. He had scars on his face, chest, and back. Patches of fur were missing along his body.  
"Who are you?" Rosepaw called down to the cat.  
"What's it matter to you?" The skinny tomcat spat back.  
"Calm down, Snakefang." Gullstar's deep voice came from the trees past Snakefang.  
Rosepaw looked up into the thick forest and watched as Gullstar stepped out of the trees and mist.  
"That's Rosepaw, the apprentice I was telling you about," Gullstar explained, coming up beside Snakefang and laying his tail across the cat's shoulders. He seemed to sag beneath the weight of Gullstar's tail.  
"You mean the little brat who clawed you?" Snakefang hissed up at Rosepaw.  
Rosepaw stepped back from the edge of the rock and lashed his tail angrily.  
"He's a feisty one, I think." Gullstar purred.  
"Why are you so forgiving of him? When we were alive, an apprentice would never dare-"  
"Well we aren't alive anymore, are we?!" Gullstar snapped at Snakefang, his tail lashing harshly.  
"I-I-I..." Snakefang stammered, shrinking away from Gullstar. He crouched down to the forest floor, looking up at Gullstar with dull, bloodshot yellow eyes.  
Gullstar let out a sigh and looked up at Rosepaw. "Come on down, young one. You aren't in trouble." He called.  
"I want to talk." Rosepaw called back.  
"Come down here and we will," Gullstar purred.  
"No. I want to stay up here."  
Gullstar's purring stopped and he glared up at Rosepaw. After a few moments, he mewed evenly, "You don't trust me."  
It wasn't a question.  
"My mother told me who you are. You hurt her! And you lied to me, about Berrystorm and Badgertooth!"  
Gullststar's restless tail was the only tell of his underlying anger as he spoke in a calm voice, "Perhaps she was lying. What do I have to gain from petty lies?"  
"My mother wouldn't lie to me." Rosepaw tried to growl, but his voice wavered, giving away his uncertainty.  
"She kept your heritage from you for your whole life, and you still think she wouldn't lie? And how would the truth benefit her, Rosepaw? All any cat cares about is how things benefit themselves."  
"Even you?"  
Gullstar smiled up at Rosepaw. "Even me."  
Rosepaw hesitated at the top of the boulder. He looked up at the dark, starless sky, then glanced around him. He was surrounded by thick, dark trees on every side. It wasn't until this moment that he realized how much this place scared him.  
Snakefang let out a frustrated hiss. "Just come down here, brat!" He called.  
Rosepaw moved back to the edge of the rock and looked down at the dead cats. He hesitated a few moments, avoiding Gullstar's eyes, before he jumped down and joined them on the forest floor.  
"Good boy," Gullstar purred, nosing at Rosepaw's ear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i feel like this chapter is a little too short but im a fan of how it ended.
> 
> pretty please leave a comment or a kudos if ur enjoying the story. i promise it gets rlly interesting soon


	7. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> rosepaw makes a friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> took me a while to get inspired to write this chapter. my bad

Rosepaw woke up early that morning with stiff limbs and blood matted into his fur.  
He'd spent the entire night training with Gullstar, learning battle moves he hadn't learned from Raventhorn, and Gullstar had told him stories of battles he'd won while he was alive.  
Rosepaw stood and rushed out of the apprentice's den, before his sister could wake and smell the blood. He ran past Littleflower, who called out to him, but he pretended he hadn't heard her.  
He let his paws carry him out into the forest, not focusing on where he was going and relying on muscle memory to guide him. He found himself at the burnt sycamore he and his mother had spoken at a moon earlier. He sighed and sat down licking his wounds clean.  
"Do you need herbs?" A gentle voice asked.  
Rosepaw looked over at Pinewhisker and shrugged, his ears burning. "What are you doing out here?" He asked.  
"Littleflower saw blood as you ran past her. She asked me to follow you."  
"I must've scratched myself on a thorn while I slept." Rosepaw mumbled, leaning away when Pinewhisker sat beside him.  
"This is a deep scratch for a thorn." Pinewhisker mewed, examining his wound.  
"It was a big thorn."  
"You didn't have to run out of camp for a thorn scratch, Rosepaw." Pinewhisker mewed gently.  
"I didn't want Leafpaw to wake and worry about me." Rosepaw lied evenly.  
"Rosepaw, is some cat hurting you? You can tell me about it." Pinewhisker whispered.  
"What? No, Pinewhisker, I told you! There was a thorn in my nest, and I didn't want any cat to worry about me. No one's hurting me." Rosepaw scoffed. "I can take care of myself. I'm not some weak kit." Rosepaw stood and walked away from Pinewhisker, his tail lashing.

Rosepaw didn't return to camp until sunhigh, carrying two squirrels and a blackbird with him.  
"Oh, there you are, Rosepaw. We've been looking for you." Raventhorn mewed when Rosepaw passed him on his way to the fresh kill pile. He sounded annoyed.  
"I was hunting." Rosepaw huffed, spitting feathers out of his mouth.  
"Alone?"  
"I needed to clear my head. I had a nightmare."  
"Leafpaw said your nest smelled of blood when she woke." Raventhorn mewed accusingly.  
"There was a thorn in it."  
"Yes, that's what Pinewhisker said."  
Rosepaw glared up at Raventhorn. "Do you think I'm lying?"  
"I think you should talk to me before you leave camp for half the day."  
"I was hunting!" Rosepaw hissed, lashing his tail.  
Raventhorn took a step towards Rosepaw, but Lightningstar came up beside his brother, running his tail along the black cat's spine.  
"Leave him be, Raventhorn. He just needed to be alone for a while. We've all felt that way before." Lightningstar purred.  
Raventhorn seemed to defuse when he heard the deep timbre of Lightningstar's mew. He slumped his shoulders a bit and padded away, glancing back at his brother.  
Lightningstar waved his tail at Raventhorn, smiling, then turned back to Rosepaw.  
"I understand the need to be alone, Rosepaw, but please inform somebody next time you want to leave camp. We were worried about you."  
"Pinewhisker knew I was out." Rosepaw said defensively.  
"Yes, and she informed us that you'd gone, but she didn't know where you had gone to."  
"I... I didn't know where I was going when I left..."  
Lightningstar smiled sadly at Rosepaw and pressed his nose to the top of Rosepaw's head. "Why don't you go get that scratch checked out by Pinewhisker, and then you can take the afternoon off. You brought back plenty of prey."  
"My scratch is fine." Rosepaw growled, looking away from Lightningstar.  
"You don't want it to get infected, do you?"  
Rosepaw snorted in anger and stomped across the clearing to Pinewhisker's den.  
Lightningstar sighed as he watched Rosepaw go.

Rosepaw began to train every night with Gullstar. As he got better, he had an easier time evading his new mentor's claws, and he woke less often with blood in his fur. His sister had started to complain about how much he squirmed in his sleep, so he moved into his own nest, far away from her.  
One night, nearly a moon after he'd begun his dark forest training, Rosepaw was battling Snakefang, easily bowling him over and scrabbling at the small cat's belly. Blood was beginning to well up in the amber tabby's fur when the forest around him blacked out, and then he was awake in his nest, his sister shaking him.  
"What?!" he snapped, his voice slurred with sleep.  
"Get up, mouse-brain! Lightningstar called a meeting, I think it's Silverheart and Goldenbird's kits' apprentice ceremony!"  
Rosepaw groaned as he got up from his nest and followed his sister out into the clearing. They sat beside their father, and Rosepaw licked at a paw, using it to clean his face.  
"Cats of ShadowClan," Lightningstar began from the top of his rock. "It's that time again. Four kits have reached the age of six moons, and today, they become apprentices."  
Lightningstar paused as Adderkit, Lizzardkit, Goosekit, and Thrushkit stepped out of the crowd of their clanmates.  
"Adderkit," Lightningstar mewed, and the kit stepped closer to the rock. "You and your siblings have waited six long moons, and watched your friends earn their apprentice names. Now, it's your turn. From this day forward, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Adderpaw." Lightningstar paused again, scanning the crowd. "Brightshadow. You have been a fine warrior, and an outstanding mother. It is long past time you had your own apprentice. I hope you teach Adderkit to be patient and compassionate, but to strike hard when the situation calls for it."  
Brightshadow stepped forward and touched noses with Adderpaw, who seemed to be shaking in his joy.  
"Lizzardkit," Lightningstar continued. "It's your time to become an apprentice. From this day forward, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Lizzardpaw. Nettlemouse will be your mentor. I know he will teach you to think before leaping paws-first into battle. He will help you become an amazing warrior."  
Rosepaw yawned as Nettlemouse and Lizzardpaw touched noses. Nettlemouse was too timid to teach Lizzardpaw. The young cat was rambunctious and loud, always getting her way. She would trample Nettlemouse.  
"Goosekit. Your time has come as well. From this day forward, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Goosepaw. Poppyheart, I trust you will pass on your strength and your wits to Goosepaw."  
Rosepaw scoffed. Goosepaw would be frightened of Poppyheart! She was obnoxious, always raising her voice and suggesting they fix all their problems through fighting. Rosepaw wondered if, perhaps, a timid cat like Goosepaw would be better fit to be Pinewhisker's apprentice. Goosepaw had never wanted to play warrior with them when they were kits together.  
"Trushkit," Lightningstar called the last kit forward. "You haven't been forgotten. From this day forward, you will be known as Thrushpaw..." Lightningstar paused, scanning the crowd again. "Uh, Littleflower. I know you will teach Thrushpaw to use his size to his advantage, as you have learned to do. You are small, but you are fast. Teach Thrushpaw well."  
"I think I know Lightningstar's kits better than he does," Rosepaw whispered to Leafpaw while his clanmates called the new apprentice's names.  
"Don't say that!" Leafpaw gasped.  
"Goosepaw doesn't even want to be a warrior!" Rosepaw hissed.  
"What? Of course she wants to be a warrior! What else would she want to be?"  
"Uh, a medicine cat? Don't you remember how she never wanted to play warriors, and she was always getting in trouble for being under Pinewhisker's paws!"  
Leafpaw was quiet for a moment, and Rosepaw knew that she knew he was right. "Yeah, well... If she wanted to be medicine cat, she would tell Lightningstar!"  
"Leafpaw, her parents are leader and deputy! Of course she'd be afraid to say she doesn't wanna follow in her parent's pawsteps!"  
Leafpaw fell silent, and after a few moments, she lashed her tail and bounded away from Rosepaw, going to greet the new apprentices.  
Rosepaw sighed softly and walked around the edge of the crowd of his clanmates, treading lightly so as not to be heard, and ducked into Pinewhisker's den. The medicine cat joined him only a few heartbeat's later.  
"Rosepaw," She greeted him.  
"Why didn't you ask Lightningstar if Goosepaw could be your apprentice?"  
"What?" Pinewhisker turned to look at Rosepaw. She shook her head and turned back to her herbs. "Goosepaw didn't ask to be a medicine cat apprentice."  
"But you know she wants to be, don't you?"  
"I can't do anything unless she asks, Rosepaw."  
"That's not what I asked."  
"What, you think you know better than Lightningstar?" Pinewhisker snapped.  
"I think Lightningstar is intimidating her."  
Pinewhisker turned and glared at Rosepaw.  
"Not on purpose!" Rosepaw amended. "But he's leader and Silverheart is deputy! Of course Goosepaw thinks she needs to become a warrior."  
"Her sister Mintleaf is a medicine cat!"  
"Does Goosepaw know that?"  
Pinewhisker hesitated. "I... It isn't my place to ask what Silverheart and Lightningstar tell their kits."  
"So she doesn't know?" Rosepaw scoffed. "Tell Lightningstar I'm going hunting near two-leg place." Rosepaw mewed as he stood. He left the den before Pinewhisker could reply.

Rosepaw crouched down at the edge of the forest, watching a mouse sniffing around a two-leg fence. He was about to give chase when something fell from the top of the fence, and the vibrations sent the mouse through a hole in the fence.  
Rosepaw stood up, hissing, and ran to the edge of the fence. He was about to jump when he realized the thud had been from another cat.  
Rosepaw turned to face the kittypet walking up beside him, lashing his tail. He stopped dead, the anger falling from his face when he saw the tan she-cat.  
"Who are you?" She asked.  
Rosepaw just stared st her, lost. Her voice sounded like music.  
"What's your name?"  
"U-uh, R-Rosepaw."  
"Rosepaw? That's a strange name. I'm Magnolia."  
"Magnolia..." Rosepaw whispered


	8. authors note

im discontinuing this fic bc i started rewriting it. i dont think im gonna start posting it for a while but its. basically just this one with updates writing and a tiny bit is changed. so yeah idk if im gonna delete this or not yet but it wont be updating at all anymore.


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